


Who's Gonna Save Us

by patronsaintofdirtyfilthylovers



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-06
Updated: 2014-05-06
Packaged: 2018-01-23 18:38:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1575509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/patronsaintofdirtyfilthylovers/pseuds/patronsaintofdirtyfilthylovers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren must learn the harsh realities that go along with being Humanities Last Hope but this lesson comes at a high price.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Who's Gonna Save Us

Eren was the first to spot the titan; a 7 meter class with a grotesquely enlarged pot belly and huge gaping mouth. It was about a half mile ahead of them, lumbering unobtrusively through the remains of a small village just to left of where Eren and the rest of his squad were riding. It loped aimlessly, appearing not to have noticed their presence yet but Eren shouted a warning anyway. Levi, who was riding a few meters ahead of Eren, raised his arm to signal the group to move further to the right but stopped halfway through the gesture. His head was still turned towards the village, cold grey eyes laser focused on the titan. No, not the titan. Eren followed the line of Levi’s gaze curiously until he saw it too. The black cable lines of a 3DMG dangling from one of the rooftops. Attached to the cables, someone hanging, hopelessly tangled in the cords. They had ridden close enough now that they could see the person, a young boy, clearly a new recruit, desperately struggling to right himself. Eren’s attention immediately flashed back to the titan still wandering obliviously through the street but getting closer all the while. In a matter of minutes the boy would be in it’s line of sight and, given his current precarious position, he would become an easy meal for the beast. 

A 7 meter class would be easy enough to take out, especially in these conditions, Eren thought. The tall buildings and wide streets lended themselves perfectly to the use of the maneuver gear and with Levi on their side, that ugly bastard didn’t stand a chance. Eren articulated this realization, his breath quickening with the excitement of a prospective fight. “We can save him, Captian!”  
Eren looked to Levi, certain he was thinking the same thing, certain he would give the command to go in and rescue the poor kid at any moment. Levi hesitated no longer. He torn his eyes away from the scene in the village and finished the command to direct the squad far to the right and give the titan a wide berth. Eren could not believe what he was seeing. Levi and the rest of the squad were peeling off to the side, riding away from the stranded boy. Eren stubbornly refused to alter his own path, however, even as Levi bellowed for him to follow. He couldn’t. He refused to see another comrade die a pointless death when he could stop it. When he could save them. He could do it on his own. He steered his horse away from the group and towards the village. The wind whipped past his ears as he urged his horse to go faster. He didn’t have a moment to spare, the titan was very close now. Vaguely, he heard Levi shouting his name, demanding he turn around, but he ignored him. He would be in for it when he got back but it would be worth it if he could save this kid. 

He arrived at the edge of the village seconds later and switched to his 3DMG. He swung up to the roof the boy was hanging from with ease. As he landed, he glanced towards the titan, gauging it’s distance and figured he had about 30 seconds before he would noticed. He then turned to looked down at the boy. He had clearly been crying, his babyish face was flushed and wet with tears but his expression now was one of utter relief.

“I’m going to have to cut you down.” Eren explained, drawing one of his blades. “It’s about a 20 foot drop so it’s going to hurt. Prepare yourself.”

The boy nodded and shifted around as best he could to get into the optimal position. During training all recruits were taught the best way to land from a great height and although it wouldn’t feel nice, Eren was sure he would be able to survive with minimal injuries. Eren began hacking at the thick cords. He knew they would cut through eventually, he’d seen it done before but it was slow going and the awkward angle he was forced to hold his sword at was not helping. The titan rounded the last corner and finally landed it’s empty eyes on the duo. Eren started sawing more quickly. If he could at least get the boy cut down, he could fight and kill the thing without any distraction. The titan didn’t seem to be a particularly fast one but it was certainly heading in their way with more purpose than it had been exhibiting earlier. Eren focused his energy on cutting through the cords. He was only about halfway through but he wasn’t going to give up now. Not when he was so close. He wouldn’t let this boy die right in front of him. Not again. He gritted his teeth and moved faster, inspired by a new found burst of determination.  
He finally managed to hack through the cord and he watched as the boy fell to the ground. He landed expertly on his feet and rolled safely to the side. Eren sighed, glad the boy would be okay. Now, he only had to deal with the titan. He raised his eyes up from the ground and came face to face with it. Eren hardly had a moment to react before it opened its disproportionately large mouth and exhaled a hot, rancid breath right in Eren’s face, knocking his off his feet. He scrambled to get back up and prepare for a fight but the titan’s hand was already beginning to close around him.

“Eren!” A familiar called out to him. Eren turned just in time to see a blur of black hair coming at him very fast before he was knocked to the side and out of the titan’s grip. Eren landed hard against the roof, his breath escaping all at once, leaving him temporarily unable to move, unable to do anything but watch in terror as Levi’s small yet formidable frame was momentarily etched against the sun setting behind the roofs of the village. He stood straight, shoulders firm and level, chin slightly raised as he looked down his nose at Eren, and then the titan’s fist clamped shut and he was gone.

“Captian!” Eren shrieked, his breath coming rushing back to him far too late. He fell forward onto his knees, his hand grasping at the empty air as if he could pull Levi back. He heard himself screaming clearly but it sounded far away, detached from his body. His mind refused to process what he had just seen and as a result, it was as if the scream was merely a reflex of his physical anatomy. A simply involuntary action. It couldn’t hold any meaning, any emotion because what he had just seen couldn’t possibly be real.  
The titan was now lifting it’s closed fist up to it’s awaiting mouth. Eren could see Levi’s arm poking out through the spaces between the titan’s digits. He could see the tan fabric of his uniform, his pale hand flopping listlessly from the edge of the cuffs. His dexterous fingers were still curled around the hilt of his blade but as he was lifted, it slipped from his lifeless grip. The blade seemed to fall in slow-motion and as Eren watched, his brain seemed to catch up. Levi was dead. He had watched him die, watched those mammoth fingers snuff him out like some kind of insect. Levi had died trying to protect him. He had surrendered his life to give Eren a second chance at his own. He could feel hot tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. It was all his fault. If he hadn’t let his idiotic pride get in the way, as he so often did, Levi would still be alive. He would miles away by now, far from this monster gargantuan maw. Suddenly Eren was filled with a new determination. He wouldn’t let this titan desecrate Levi’s body, he had to bring it back. He had to give him a proper burial, a proper grave. Humanities strongest deserved that much. Levi deserved that much. 

Eren gave another blood curdling scream, this one filled with all the emotion the last one had lacked, as he sprung to his feet, brandishing his weapons. The kill was easy, almost too easy. Eren couldn’t help but wish he could make the beast suffer more for what it had done. Death alone was not nearly enough to atone for its sins against him, against Levi, against humanity as a whole. He took unholy joy in shearing away the wide chunk of flesh at the base of the creatures neck. He imagined time slowing down for the Titan, every second becoming an eternity as he ripped its tissue apart. 

Eren landed on the roof across from the one he had just been on, the titan’s sizzling blood splattered across him, a lunatic smile incised onto his face. He straightened and watched as the monstrosity collapse to the Earth. It’s long arm fell out in front of it, the fingers opening to reveal a broken and bloodied Levi. Eren’s breath caught in his throat at the sight and the manic smile fell from his lips. He swooped down from his perch and landed gracefully next to the titan’s hand, which had already started decomposing. Eren grabbed Levi’s cloak and drug him out of the steam. He weighed much more than Eren would have guessed, given his height, but the adrenaline was still coursing through his veins, giving him plenty of strength. He managed to pull him out to where the heat would be more tolerable before he collapsed. Levi’s head fell limply into Eren’s lap as the younger boy began to cry in earnest. He leaned down to press his forehead against Levi’s as the sobs racked his entire body. He still felt warm against him, death not quite having claimed that piece of him yet. Eren reached for Levi’s hand and held it against his cheek, reveling in the small comfort that thought provided. He forced himself to pull it together. He took a few shaky breaths and wiped his face. Levi would hate to see him like this. He would probably call him a snot-nosed brat and make him go scrub his face. Eren smiled distantly at the memory, leaning to Levi’s hand. 

Finally, he forced himself to really look at Levi for the first time. He was glad to see that, all in all, he still looked like himself. His shoulders hung at an odd, sickening slant and his arm and legs were bent at multiple wrong angles but all his other features were still intact; thin eyebrows, small nose, high cheekbones. His once piercing eyes were closed now but peacefully, as if he were sleeping. His mouth hung slightly open, blood dripping from it and down his chin. Eren reached down to wipe it away so that he might pretend he really was just sleeping but as he swiped his knuckles across his lips, he felt a small puff of air. Eren felt his heart stop in his chest. It couldn’t be.. Could it? Eren held his hand in front of Levi’s mouth once again. There it was. Very faint but definitely there. A tiny, weak breath. He wasn’t dead! Eren was nearly giddy with a mix of sheer ecstasy and relief. He had to get him help though and soon. He wouldn’t last long like this.  
He whistled for his horse and was pleased when Levi’s came along with it. The boy Eren had saved came out from in between the buildings where he had been hiding, looking shyly at Levi.  
“T-That’s Captain Levi..” The boy’s voice wavered, his eyes growing wide in reverence or fear, Eren couldn’t tell. “Is he..?”

“No,” Eren answered. “He’s still breathing but we need to get him medical attention. Now. Help me!” 

Eren and the boy managed to gently lifted Levi up over the back of Eren’s horse. Eren climbed on behind him and took the reins. He commanded the boy to follow him back on Levi’s horse before he turned and started racing back to the formation. 

* * *

The young titan shifter hadn’t slept or eaten much since he had arrived back from the mission. Even Mikasa and Armin had given up trying, knowing he would be okay once he got some news about the captain. It had been about 4 days since they had come back and Eren hadn’t heard anything, not that he really expected to. He was still technically a low ranking soldier and any news would certainly have to come to him from a higher ranking officer. Still, Eren had hoped to have heard something by now. 

Right after discovering he was still alive, Eren had rushed Levi back to the formation and straight to the medical cart. Erwin had called off the entire mission immediately to get him back to the wall and to proper care. No one questioned this semi-unorthodox decision by the commander. He didn’t have to say it outloud but everyone knew. If humanities strongest were to die in the field, there would be panic in the streets. Levi gave strength to people all across the country, whether he liked it or not. Eren supposed it was that reputation that saved him in the end.  
It was Erwin himself who was the one to share the news with Eren. It was very early in the morning when he arrived at the bunker but Eren still wasn’t sleeping well so as soon as Erwin knocked on his door, he flung it open, staring expectantly up at the commander with those blue-green eyes. His young face was so deadly serious, Erwin was a little taken aback. Maybe he shouldn’t have been, Eren had always been a very serious kid so why should now be any different? 

“Relax, Eren.” It was almost unbelievable how much Eren seemed to care for Levi. It was as evident now as it had been when Eren had showed up with Levi draped over his horse, cheeks tear stained, eyes swollen. Erwin let a tiny smile curl the ends of his lips. He knew Levi felt the same way. “He’s going to be okay.”

He could literally see the tension melt out of the young boy’s face, the furrow of his brow relaxing, the hard line of his lip softening. “R-Really?” 

“Yes, he has many broken ribs and his arm and both his legs are all but shattered but the internal damage is thankfully minimal and under control now. He has a long recovery ahead of him but he’ll pull through.” Erwin reached out to lay a heavy hand on Eren’s shoulder. “He’s awake now and he’s asking for you.”

Within the hour, Eren had arrived at the medical building. Erwin had decided to wait downstairs, leaving Eren standing awkwardly at Levi’s door. His hand hovered over the knob because he knew that Levi would be pissed and he wasn’t sure if he was ready to endure his wrath just yet. Ultimately, his desire to see Levi, to make sure he really was okay, overwhelmed him and he turned the knob.

He opened it just a crack and peeked around slowly. He could see Levi laying in bed, propped up by several pillows. He was topless except for a thick, white bandage wrapped all around his torso and over his arm. His lower half was covered by a blanket but there were two distinct bumps where his legs were likely being propped up. His eyes were closed but the gentle rise and fall of his chest was unmistakable. 

“C-Captain?” Eren asked the quiet room. It was lit only by skinny shafts of sunlight filtering in through slits in the blinds. Levi seemed peaceful, lying back against against his bed, wrapped in his white sheets. If he was asleep, Eren didn’t want to wake him. He would need his rest to make a speedy recovery and that was the most important thing right now. He could come back later. He was just about to close the door when Levi’s eyes flashed open.

“Get in here, you damn brat.” Levi commanded. His voice was a little hoarse but unmistakably his own. Eren obeyed quickly, coming into the room and sitting in a chair that had been set up near his bedside. He had barely sat down when he felt a hard slap come down across his cheek. Levi only had one working limb but he’d be damn if wouldn’t put it to good use.  
“What were you thinking?” Levi scolded in that voice that sent shiver up and down Eren’s spine. He didn’t have a response to that so he stayed quiet. His cheek throbbed painfully. Levi rolled his eyes. “You weren’t thinking, I know. Use your Goddamn brain every once in a while, will you? Next time you’re given a fucking clear-ass order, you better obey it. No excuses. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, Captain..” Eren muttered, looking down at his hands in his lap.

“Look at me when you’re addressing me, punk.” Eren’s head snapped up immediately, eyes locking with his captain’s. “Do you fucking understand me, Jaeger?”

“Yes, sir!” Eren bounced up from his seat to salute, knocking his chair over in the process.

Levi rolled his eyes again. “You’re a mess, kid. Sit the fuck down before you hurt yourself.”

Eren righted his chair and took his seat once again. As the silence settled him, he let his gaze wander over Levi’s form. Even through the bandages, Eren could see the outlines of his well built chest, a testament to the years spent as a soldier. His arms were thick with ropy muscle and shoulders were wide too, wider than a normal man of his stature. Levi wasn’t a normal man though, not by a long shot. The shock from an incident like that would probably would have been enough to kill a normal man. But not Levi. Never Levi. Eren couldn’t help but be impressed, no, awed by him. He was incredible in every definition of the word. From the roots of his silken hair to the tip of his toes, he was perfect. Perfect body, perfect soldier, perfect man. Eren bit his lip.

“Eren.” Levi finally spoke up. Eren raised his gaze to Levi’s face but the older man wasn’t making eye contact. Instead, he looked away, staring at the closed window across the room. The slants of light danced over the white blankets. “Did that kid make it?”

Eren was confused by the question at first but then he remembered; The whole reason any of this had happened. “Oh yeah,” Eren nodded profusely. “He’s fine. We saved him.”  
“Good.” Levi sighed. “It’s okay then.”

“Sir?” Eren murmured, his voice laced with concern. He leaned forward, elbows resting on the bed, and craned his neck to try and see Levi’s face. The older man turned back slowly towards Eren, his grey eyes were menacing as always but they seemed sadder somehow. Eren sat back up.

“Jaeger,” Levi’s voice remained perfectly even as he spoke. “Have you ever thought about what would happen if one of us died?”

“Not really, sir. Why? Should I be?” Eren frowned to himself. He didn’t really want to think about that.

“I’m sure you’ve realized this but you and I are not like normal soldiers.” Levi’s eye focused uncomfortably on Eren’s but the young boy did not look away. “We mean something to people. Like symbols. We embody the strength and the hope of this entire shitty country. Your life isn’t just your life anymore, Eren. It’s not fair they’ve done this to you but they have and you can’t change it. I can’t change it either. You have to start being more careful because if you die, the hope of every single damn person out there dies with you. Do you understand me, Eren? You can’t be so selfish. No one is going to come to your rescue anymore because it’s us that have to do the rescuing. We have to save everyone which means, there’s no one left to save us.”

“But Captain,” Eren sat up a bit straighter. “You saved me.”

Levi stared blankly at Eren for a long moment and then the corners of mouth began to twitch, almost like he wanted to smile. Eren had never seen Levi do anything even slightly resembling a smile before. He wasn’t sure how it had happened but he was proud he had been the one to cause it. “I guess you’re right, kid. I don’t know what I was thinking.” He closed his eyes, the almost-smile still present on his face.

“Captain?” Eren asked hesitantly, feeling a bit bolder. Levi hummed, a signal for Eren to continue. “I think that maybe.. Maybe as long as we’re both around, there will always be someone to save us? I don’t think you were thinking about humanities last hope when you risked your life for me. I think you were thinking about your hope. I think you did it because you need me, because I mean something to you too, don’t I, Captain?”

“Tch,” Levi’s eyes remained shut. “You’re overstepping your bounds, Jaeger.”

“Sorry, sir.” Eren shyed away for a moment but he was never good at keeping his mouth shut. “I just thought maybe you felt the same way I do. I need you, Levi. Not just to save me when I’m in trouble but to be my strength too. I just thought maybe I was your hope.” Levi didn’t move at all for a long time after that. Taking that as a hint to leave, Eren stood up but just as he did, Levi reached out with his good hand and caught him by the wrist.

“That whole speech was corny as hell, you shitty brat.” Levi said, his eyes finally opening. Eren expected to see annoyance in those steel grey iris’ but instead, they seemed to soften. The usual scowl was gone and his brows had unfurled. Eren blushed violently. He rushed to stammer out an explanation but Levi just snickered and shook his head. “It’s okay. You may actually be on to something.” 

“Am I?” Eren asked, completely taken aback.

Levi nodded, his hand slid up Eren’s wiry arms, over his chest and up to cup his reddening cheek. He traced over the curve of his baby smooth face with the pad of his thumb, being surprisingly gentle. Eren blushed even deeper. “Come here.” Levi said, barely above a whispered but his voice still carried all it’s usual power.  
Eren scooted closer, guided by Levi’s hand, until he was leaning over him. His hands rested on either side of the man’s head, carefully holding himself up so he wouldn’t hurt the other in his fragile state. Levi’s hand moved up from Eren’s cheek to the back of his head, tangling in Eren’s rich brown hair. Eren could feel his heart beating wildly behind his ribcage but he made no move to try and stop what would certainly happen next. Levi pulled Eren’s head down until they were mere centimeters apart. He hesitated long enough for Eren to pull away if he wanted but before he could even start moving again, Eren had closed the gap between them. He pressed a short, soft kiss to Levi’s waiting lips, noting ecstatically that Levi was even warmer now than he had been back in the village. His eyes flickered shut as he tried to memorize the way Levi’s lips felt against his own, the way he smelled like expensive soap and fresh fabric, how he tasted sweeter than anything Eren had ever tried before.. 

All too soon, Levi was pulling away and Eren opened his eyes to see the older man underneath him, cheeks slightly redder than was usual. “I guess you’re right.” Levi said after a moment. “I guess I do need you.”

Eren made a noise somewhere between a giggle and a sob. “Levi, I don’t want to think about what would happen if one of us died anymore.”

“Yeah, me neither.” Levi clicked his tongue quietly as he pulled Eren back down into another kiss.


End file.
